Thursday, June 13, 2013

From where I'm standing it feels like this guy is the most anticipated thing in the culture. Jon Caramanica scored the first interview in who knows how long.

The original studios were built under the supervision of Bob Dylan and the Band in the 1970s — some of “The Last Waltz” was filmed here — and the property was bought in 2011 by the producer Rick Rubin, the man whose brain Mr. West had come here to pick. Together, they sandpapered off the album’s rough edges, rerecording vocals and sometimes writing entire new verses. Even as the deadline loomed, Mr. West made room for an appearance at the baby shower for his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, who’s expecting their first child. As the days passed, the songs noticeably morphed, becoming more skeletal and ferocious.
One afternoon, Mr. Rubin exited the studio and declared, to everyone and no one, “It’s un-bee-leave-able what’s happening in there.”

It's interesting because I believe I was first introduced to Richard Mosses' work in photos scattered through Tumblr. The work is just fascinating. I didn't know exactly what I was looking at. This video not only explains the Kodak film and why the colors have popped in this special way, but also the violence captured on this journey through the Congo.

The six-foot-five giant with the strange look and the twisted humor (Money talk, you ain't got none / End of discussion) is hip-hop's most in-demand MC, thanks to his tawdry, spit-take-funny two-beat punch lines.